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Two women killed during collision with police cruiser
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Barbara Hagans, 69, was driving her 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser when it was struck by a cruiser driven by an on-duty Mount Rainier officer as Hagans was making a left turn from Route 202 to Technology Way. Hagans’ passenger, Lillie Rowe, 78, of Upper Marlboro, was also killed.
Hagans left behind six children and more grandchildren than her grief-stricken daughter Debbie Brown said she could count.
“She was a good woman,” Brown said.
The name of the officer, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, is being withheld for 24 hours as required by police policy, Mount Rainier Police Chief Michael Scott said.
Around 9:30 a.m., the officer was driving south on Route 202 to a court appointment in Upper Marlboro as he approached the intersection of Technology Way with a steady green light, said Sgt. Arthur Betts, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police.
Hagans was turning left from the northbound side of the divided highway when she crossed two lanes of the southbound side and was struck by the cruiser on the passenger side where Rowe was sitting, Betts said. The officer, who was in the lane to the left of the right-turn lane for Technology Way, braked but didn’t stop in time. The collision caused Hagans’ car to flip at least once before it halted on the south side of the intersection.
There are no hills or curves that could have disrupted Hagans’ view, but it’s possible a vehicle in the left lanes of Route 202 southbound could have prevented her from seeing the police cruiser, Betts said. The officer involved has been on the force for 18 months and has been in one other accident in which he collided with an officer while responding to a burglary in progress, the police chief said. Neither officer was injured in that crash.
“It’s too early to tell if the officer did anything wrong,” Betts said. The investigation could take up to 30 days.
fkopott@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:27 AM MST on Sun., Jan. 13, 2008 re: "Two women killed during collision with police cruiser"
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7:13 AM MST on Fri., Jan. 11, 2008
re: "Two women killed during collision with police cruiser"
Report as inappropriate
12:51 PM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008
re: "Two women killed during collision with police cruiser"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Being a retired Military Police Officer, I understand the public wanting to place the Mt Rainier Officer at fault. The facts are, the Officer had the right of way approaching a steady green light and Ms/Mrs.Hagans made a yielding to oncoming traffic left turn in the officer's path of travel. The officer was not the overall cause of the accident. However, his skid marks from braking will proves the officer speed of travel. Then again he was not the overall cause of the accident but speed could have contributed to the cause of the accident. Yes both families have to endure a tragic lost of their love ones. In conclusion, I to anxiously await the Maryland State Police Accident Reconstruction Team's ruling.
61 agree | 70 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I agree whole heartedly with the first comment. The police cruiser had to be going at a pretty fast speed in order to have that type of impact and unless he was responding to a call. I really pray that these womens family get justice.
60 agree | 54 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
A driver at fault is issued a ticket at the scene of every accident. It does not take 30 days to determine fault. I hope that the media keeps a close watch on the details of the accident investigation. Smells of cover-up to me.
78 agree | 76 disagree
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